Holloman Airmen react quickly, save a life

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Siuta B. Ika
  • 49th Wing Public Affairs
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M. --  Two Airmen from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., saved the life of a passenger aboard a sinking boat at the Elephant Butte Reservoir, N.M., May 26.

Tech. Sgt. Rachel Dow, 29th Attack Squadron aviation resource management flight chief, and her husband, Master Sgt. Garret Dow, 49th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management superintendent, were enjoying their Memorial Day weekend at the lake when they heard some commotion.

"We were on the beach at our camp site, and there was a lady two camp sites down from us who was running across our camp site yelling, 'they just need to start swimming,'" Rachel said. "That alarmed us, and then we saw there were people in the water that had been thrown from their boat."

Both Dows immediately took action.

"Rachel and I both looked at each other and we started grabbing life jackets and keys to the Jet Skis," Garret said. "We didn't even think twice about going out there to try to help. When we got to the boat, it had been fully swamped. There was about three inches of it that was above the water line and there were multiple people in the water. Other Jet Skis were also coming up to render aid to the others in the water."

In all, four adults and three children were desperately seeking to get out of the four-foot waves that were swallowing the boat.

"The gentleman I tried to get out of the water flipped me three times off of my Jet Ski in the middle of the swells," said Rachel, a Caseyville, Ill., native. "So my husband pulled up right behind me, and we got the guy out of the water and onto my husband's Jet Ski."

For some, being pulled into the water during a situation like that may induce uncontrollable panic or fear, but somehow Rachel managed to stay calm, said Garret.

"She's experienced on the Jet Ski, so I knew my wife was safe and that she could take care of herself," Garret said. "But I knew that the way he was panicking, he needed a little more direction. I got his attention and used a little bit of my military instructor voice to get him to come to me and get on the back of my Jet Ski, which was more stable in those conditions. Once we had him on, I took him back to shore and went back out there."

By the time Garret got back out to where the boat was it had completely capsized.

"It was about a 17-foot boat, so it was way too small to be out on waves like that," Rachel said. "We then started to collect all of the floating bottles of oil, that luckily did not disperse, because any type of spark could have ignited the boat and the water."

For the Dows, who have been stationed at Holloman AFB for two years, this scenario is a common occurrence at the lake.

"We've been going to Elephant Butte ever since we got here," said Garret, a Girdwood, Ala., native. "You hear about losses at Elephant Butte all the time. There are constantly reports of someone dying or getting lost in the water from a boating or Jet Skiing accident. Fortunately for us, we've spent a lot of time on Jet Skis and boats, so I know how the water reacts, and how to position the boat or Jet Ski to keep yourself safe."

Keeping yourself safe during any situation is a key lesson Garret will take back to the younger Airmen of his squadron who may encounter this scenario in the future.

"Knowing your limitations is definitely important," Garret said. "It's also important to let your training take hold and act on your instincts with confidence."

Once they saw the people in distress, taking action was the only choice, Rachel said.

"At the end I was just extremely happy that everyone was safe," she said. "By the time we got them back, the winds we're getting worse, so timing was good with getting them out. We just feel like normal everyday people that just did the right thing, nothing special, but it's a really good feeling knowing that you can help people. I just know if that was me out there then I would hope somebody would have done the same for me and my children.

One Holloman Airmen that witnessed the event, Master Sgt. Jim (name withheld due to operational security), 29th ATKS first sergeant, shared his thoughts on the Dows actions.

"It's not every day that people risk their own lives to save somebody else's life," he said. "I didn't get a chance to see a lot of the details, but it's extraordinary and I couldn't be more proud. To have military members doing something like this is great. They risked their lives, to rescue someone else, so it's a big deal."